Harry Potter and the Legend of the Soul Mates
by mary-v
Summary: The special power that Harry needs to beat the Dark Lord is slowly being unleashed. Who will be there to help him, who will betray him? Post OotP. Canon couples. ON HIATUS
1. Darkness

A.N. I absolutely hated what this story was like before, and the only reason I'm re-writing it is because it gathered a lot of fans, and I don't want to disappoint them. I hope you enjoy the modifications and don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter ain't mine. No copyright infringement intended. (Applies to all future chapters.)

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It was a beautiful day on Privet Drive. The sun was shining on the perfectly manicured lawns of the houses, the children could be heard ravishing their summer holidays, and the adults could be found admiring their perfect lives in Little Whining. But inside the house of Number Four, in the smallest bedroom, there could be found a young man of 15, with unmanageable raven hair, emerald green eyes, and a thunderbolt shaped scar on his forehead. He was barricaded in his room, (of his own volition, for once), only to emerge when he was ordered to do a chore or to attend meals. It was mid-afternoon, and the Dursleys were at the local pool to "cool off from the heat" as Aunt Petunia stated, though that was not the real reason for their absence. They were desperate to escape the darkness that haunted their house since the return of _that_ _boy_ from Hogwarts. It was a darkness fuelled by magic, a magic created by sorrow and anger. Darkness with such power that it cast shadows on anything that surrounded Harry.

Harry was staring out his window, trying to see through the glare of the mocking rays of sunlight. He couldn't help reliving the night Sirius was murdered by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Voldemort's most loyal and sadistic Death Eaters. The guilt was clawing at his insides, wishing with all his heart that he could somehow go back in time and tell himself to ignore his hallucinations. He closed his eyes in fury as he thought of the friends he so foolishly brought into danger and certain death. Ron. Hermione. Neville. Luna. _Ginny._

The only thing that kept Harry from going insane with grief was his determination to fulfill the damned prophecy place on his shoulders since before he was born. Harry lifted himself from his windowsill in a movement so swift and yet so tense Hedwig fluttered her wings in slight distress. His destiny was to be a murder, or to be murdered. Harry swallowed hard, feeling as if his mouth was made of sand. His nightmares made the grief and despair harder to forget and he always woke up, screaming for his parents and for Sirius, to Dudley's great amusement.

Harry was startled out of his dark musings with the arrival of the Dursleys, the loud slam of the door against its hinges a dead give away. Before he could take two steps towards his door, his Uncle's booming voice reverberated through the house.

"BOY" he yelled, and, Harry noted with slight satisfaction, with a quivering tone in his voice that couldn't be camouflaged, no matter how high his pitch went. "GET DOWN HERE!"

_What now? _Harry thought bitterly, as he descended the stairs to see his uncle.

"Yes_?"_ Harry asked, annoyed. Before answering him, Vernon backed away, trying to escape his strange aura.

"These are your chores I expect you to be done with by the time you leave to go join your _freak_ friends." The last two words he practically spat out.

"Yes sir" Harry answered sarcastically, yet dejectedly. He glanced at his aunt and cousin, and was extremely surprised to see Dudley and Petunia's looks of loathing and fear, reserved for him, replaced by something else. Something he couldn't quite decipher. He shook his head a little and looked at his aunt again, only to see their usual expressions of disgust on their sneers. He turned and went up to his room, thinking that maybe his hallucinations weren't limited to Voldemort. With a bitter laugh, he glanced down at his list of chores, noticing most of them were made to keep him out of the house as much as possible. As he was reading the first chore, _weed and plant the _garden, Dudley came up behind Harry startling him. He turned out and whipped out his wand, which was pointed directly between Dudley's eyes, an inch from contact. Harry shook his head in frustration, hating the paranoia that followed him around like a shadow. He lowered his wand and mumbled an apology, and he looked at Harry in impatient expectation. Dudley's smirk was in place and he was about to tell him something when he saw Harry's eyes. He shrieked and cowered in fear. Harry looked at him as if he were mad and asked:

"What the hell's the matter with you?"

"Yo-your eyes" Dudley's stuttered answer was. "The-They flashed blood red"

Harry stared at him, narrowing his eyes. He knew very well that his eyes had taken to turning red. He was washing his face in the bathroom and as he glanced up and noticed that his eyes had turned an intimidating hue of scarlet. He had owled Dumbledore asking for an explanation, who in turn gave him his standard one, full of riddles and hardly helpful. He still couldn't forget what he had finished the letter with: _Do not worry Harry; the time will come when you will receive your answers, but you must remain patient._ Harry had wanted to rant and rail, and to respond with a letter with a few riddles of his own, but an odd calm overtook him and when he looked up at his reflection in his room, his eyes seemed to flash gold.

Harry shook his head from the memory, and sneered at Dudley. "I think you've been playing a little too much _World of __Warcraft_Diddykins.

"If you don't fess up I'll tell mum and dad." Harry snorted in laughter.

"You sure you want to run off to _mummy_ and _daddy_? They'll probably have you committed, what with your ravings of people's eyes turning red." Harry smirked in satisfaction as he watched his cousin turn purple.

"Listen, _freak,_ I came up here to try a hand at having a civil conversation with you." Dudley spluttered angrily, his fists clenching. Harry raised an eyebrow, shocked but refusing to let himself show it. Dudley seemed disconcerted by his lack of reaction and he stuttered as he tried to word what he want to _civilly_ tell Harry.

"Well, what did you want then?" Dudley raised his head, and his anger seemed to ebb away as he looked down at his shoes, embarrassment seeming to take its place.

"Just wanted to say thanks. For last summer." Harry couldn't hide his reaction this time as his jaw dropped. Fortunately, Dudley was still staring at the floor as he mumbled, looking as if it took all his will power to say that to him. Which Harry didn't doubt it probably did. Harry couldn't help but wish to answer with a biting remark, but all he did was extend his hand. Dudley grabbed it, shook it once and quickly let go, nodding at him as he turned to his room.

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	2. Letters

_A.N.: Thank you to all you beautiful people who added me to your alerts, and the beautiful person that reviewed! Enjoy!_

The next morning, Harry was in the front yard, on his knees ripping out the dead plants and the many weeds that littered his Aunt's garden. He sat back on his heels as he wiped the sweat from his brow. It was strange to see so many consecutive days of sunlight and hot weather in Little Whining, but Harry felt it was a welcome change. As he bent over again, he heard his uncle's distinct growl beckoning him.

"BOY!!" Harry turned his head in the direction of number four, unwilling to leave the comfort of the sun and the small relief the mindless task brought to his grief.

"I'm working in the garden, Uncle Vernon."

"GET _IN_ HERE BOY, AND DON'T QUESTION ME." Harry sighed heavily, and walked to the kitchen where he knew his uncle would be, reading the newspaper.

"Sit" was the command. Harry stayed standing, reveling the small defiance. His uncle glared at him, but only thrust out his arm, a thin sheet of parchment filled with cramped writing encased in his hand. Harry suppressed a groan as he saw the title of the list. _Chores._

"Petunia, Dudley and I will be leaving for the weekend. When we get back we expect all the chores to be done and the house to be in the exact condition we left it in. So no funny business." Harry wanted to tell his uncle that if he were to _repaint the kitchen_, how could the house be in the same condition? But then he realized that he was going to be left unsupervised for an entire weekend. The Dursleys were either suffering a temporary fit of insanity, or they had some hotshot coming over for supper on Monday.

"We're to visit my manager's cottage for the weekend, and we in turn have invited him for supper Monday evening, which is why you are to finish your chores. Understood boy?" Harry nodded, tensing away from his uncle's spittle as he barked the last word.

Harry turned to leave when he heard the distinct flutter of wings signaling the arrival of an owl through the window. Wishing he had earplugs, he flinched away as his uncle's booming voice reverberated through his ears.

"OWLS! I will not have any ruddy owls coming from your freak ministry, or freak school, or freak _friends_..." Here he faltered, and then paled, undoubtedly remembering the incident with Mad-Eye Moody at platform nine and three quarters. Harry couldn't hide a smile at the memory as he looked upon Pig, twittering madly around their heads.

"If you'll excuse me. I have a letter to read." After much straining, Pig finally settled down. Harry walked out into the sunshine and noticed that the envelope held two letters, half surprised to see that there was also a letter from Ginny along with one from Ron. He opened Ron's first, already knowing that it would mention Hermione in its folds.

_Harry, _

_How are you __mate__? We're all busy with chores and there's always some order member popping by. I can't write much about what the Order is up to and even if I could, no one's about to tell me anything. Mum refuses to let us sit in on the meetings, and we've given up fighting her on it. We'll just have to wait for you to get here so you could fill us in, eh mate? Hermione's here and __she's__ already harping on my" _lack of dedication to my studies!" _You may be laughing now, but you just wait. I'm sure she'll be nagging on you to start studying the second she sees you. The Burrow's pretty hectic, what with Fleur, __Bill and Charlie staying here for a few weeks, though mum is really in her element, having everyone here and being able to boss them around again. We're all looking forward to seeing you._

_See you soon,_

_Ron. _

Harry smiled slightly at Ron's mention of Hermione's nagging, but he was put out at the lack of news. Still, he knew that Ron wasn't a man of many words. He re-read the sentence about Hermione again, and laughed. He may at time be just as clueless as Ron, but after years of watching the two manage to flirt and argue simultaneously, he did manage to fit the pieces together. He picked up Ginny's letter which was substantially thicker than Ron's and started to read.

_Dear Harry. _

_How are you? Actually, scratch that. I know you must feel miserable. I know I do. Sirius and I did have one or two conversations, mostly revolving around the wonder that is Harry. Don't let that get to your head though – it was more a general wonder at how you always manage to rile __Snape__ up simply by being in the same room as him. Yes, yes, I know. I'm funny, aren't I? Sorry for the horrible __humour__ but I may or may not be going insane. All we do is clean and watch mum's blood pressure rise every time Fleur complains about something. __"__Zat__eez__ not how we deed __eet__ in France.__Een__ France we had House Elves feed __ze__ chickens!" (Honestly, when she said that I swear I saw steam coming out of Hermione's ears.) __Phlegm__ Fleur isn't too horrible with me though. She keeps telling me how lovely my hair is. And that my "fair complexion __eez__ something __ze__ women in France would kill for." __Which, needless to say, put me off on the idea of ever going to France._

_We've been discussing holding a memorial for Sirius, if you agree to it. We wouldn't want a raging Potter around here now would we? I'm not sure where we're going to hold it, but we'll wait for you to get here before we set a date. The thing is__ Remus has really taken Sirius' death hard. I think that he mopes even more than you! Maybe you two should have some sort of brooding contest. That would be one sight to behold, I tell you. Fred and George are running bets on which one of you two is more depressed, and __Lupin__ actually laughed at the idea. Mum rushed in to see if he was all right, and it made him laugh even more. (I should tell you here before I go too far that I put my money on you once I heard him laugh. It's a sure bet that you won't have much to laugh about with those Dursleys for company.)_ _Lupin__ told mum about the bet, and you should have seen her – you'd think someone set her on fire. She went mad on the twins. You should have been there, yelling at them, saying that people's emotions are not to be toyed with, nor are they to be bet on, nor are they to blame innocent, pure Ginny blah, blah, blah. The bet _may_ have been my idea, but being the only girl makes it easy to get away with almost anything. And don't feel too bad for the twins. They never hesitate to use the _innocent Ginny_ card in their pranks. The __things is__, her energy spent yelling on the twins made her forget about me for a little while. She has taken to watching my every move. I say that I want to help her dice _potatoes_, and she says; "careful dear, don't strain __yourself__." Honestly. Just because I almost died is no reason for her to be worried. I mean, you almost die at every second minute, and does she loom over you? 'Course she doesn't. "Harry can take care of himself. He's such a brave young man" (and cue the tear.) _

_In other news, the Ron/Hermione front.__ (I know you're not a dolt, unlike my brother. They are more obvious than a Blast Ended __Skrewt__, trying to sneak around the gardens.) You should have seen Ron when he heard that Hermione was going to be spending the entire summer with us. The boy nearly wet his pants. He even offered to do _my_ chores, he was so happy. He's up in his bedroom now, polishing his broomstick, though I don't much want to think much on what he meant by that. Sorry for the scarring images, but misery does love company! You know, it's not good to suffer alone. (And I mean that, especially with this whole You-know-who extravaganza.) Well, I'll write later with more news from the Burrow and the R/H front. Mum's calling for me to get the laundry. Guess Ron's Hermione high wore off._

_Love, _

_Ginny._

_P.S.: Weasley Wizarding Wheezes is booming! Fred and George are rolling in galleons, and they told me to tell you that they were going to send you some free samples, courtesy of you being financial benefactor. (Don't worry, they've only told me about it... I have my ways.) See you soon!_

Harry put down his letter from Ginny with a happy grin on his face, his laughter coming back full force as he re-read her letter. He couldn't help the rapid beating of his heart as he thought back to the last time he'd been with Ginny, hugging her as they left Platform 9 and ¾. He wasn't sure when Ginny had started invading his thoughts, but every time he thought of her his grief, and the darkness, lifted slightly and the Dursleys (unbeknownst to Harry) breathed a sigh of relief. He raced to his room, got a quill and parchment and went back to the garden to write back to her.

_Dear Ginny, _

_How are _you_? Hope the twins aren't terrorizing you too much, though by the looks of things I shouldn't worry about anything. I'm alright; your letter honestly lifted my spirits – the idea of that bet is pretty amusing... what are the odds? I just hope I get to the Burrow soon to see your mum's formidable temper at work on the twins. The Dursleys are leaving for the weekend, so at least I'll be in peace for a few days, even if they've piled chores on me. But at least most of them are outdoors, so I get to take advantage of the good weather. How is everybody there? __Your mum and dad, Ron, Hermione, your brothers?__ I'm really glad that WWW is going well. Like I told your brothers, we really need some laughs these days. I'll be looking forward to their care package. And don't worry about Ron and Hermione. I'm sure they'll get their act together soon. And if they don't, well, what are meddling friends for?_

_I'm really glad you've offered to lend an ear. I don't know when I'd take you up on it, but I'm glad you're there for me. And… well, I'm here for you too._

_Love, _

_Harry. _

Harry sealed the envelope, his cheeks burning and a smile fixed on his face as he called for Hedwig, who soared down from his window sill and took the letter, flying off to Ginny.

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	3. A day in the Life

A.N.: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers and the wonderful people that added me to their alerts and their favourites!:D Enjoy!

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Over the course of the next three weeks, Harry would keep himself very busy. The Dursleys had come and gone for the weekend, and for once had nothing negative to say. Rather, nothing disapproving about the _house_. Their delinquent nephew was an entirely different matter, though Harry was used to it after fifteen years. During their few days away, Harry had taken advantage of his freedom and headed off to London. Tonks had accompanied him, worry for his safety making her his guard. She always accompanied him when she was on duty on his walks around Little Whining, hidden under her invisibility cloak. The trip to London was no different, except that she had opted to leave the Invisibility cloak behind. He smiled at the memory, blushing at her wolf whistles whenever he emerged with something she would insist Ginny would love.

"So Harry, why the sudden need to get yourself a fashion sense?" Harry raised an eyebrow at Tonks' yellow hair, which was making it hard for Harry to look at her directly, and he couldn't help but smile at her own rather eccentric definition of fashion.

"I've outgrown nearly everything I own. Dudley's recent hand me downs have become too big and the old ones have gone too short in the sleeves and pant cuffs." Tonks looked at Harry, scrutinizing him as if for the first time.

"You really have grown Harry. When we first met you were shorter than me and now I have to look up to see your face. I can see what Ginny sees in you." Harry tripped over his own feet as he whipped his head towards Tonks' smirking face. He turned red as he looked away, but he couldn't help the smile that made its way onto his face. He and Ginny had been keeping up a daily (at the very least) correspondence, and he really couldn't wait to see her. The dark shadow that had been on him for weeks was slowly dissipating, and though he was still mourning over Sirius, Ginny's letters had made it all easier to bear. Tonks and Harry made their way through the stores in London, and Harry had found a lovely silver necklace with a crescent moon hugging a tiny, but very detailed, rose. With Tonks' approval, he had it gift wrapped, happy to have found Ginny a birthday gift. It was a few weeks too soon, but he had no idea when the next opportunity to sneak off to get her a proper gift would present itself. Shaking himself from the memory, Harry bent his head and continued writing his letter to Ginny, describing his outing, bar mentioning her gift.

Harry was vigorously working on the garden again, trimming the rose bushes per his Aunt Petunia's demand. The Dursleys were once again lounging at the pool, and Harry took advantage of the peace and quiet, letting his thoughts go to Ginny as he worked. Once finished, he padded to the kitchen polishing off three glasses of water and sticking his head under the faucet, cooling off. When he turned off the water, he heard a distinct _hem __hem_, the perfect imitation of Umbridge. He smiled, beaming and he turned around, his eyes falling on Ginny. She had a broad smile in return and without hesitating he walked towards her and hugged her tightly, her arms reciprocating the gesture.

"What are you doing here? How _are_ you?" Ginny laughed, and Harry couldn't think of a more beautiful sound.

"Rescuing you! Dad's in the living room, transfiguring the fireplace into an opening for the floo, and Ron and Hermione are in your room, packing your things. Now let go of me, you're getting me all wet!" Harry smiled wickedly and he shook his head, making more water land on her hair and shoulders. She shrieked in laughter and ran off to the side. Before Harry could follow her, Mr Weasley had entered the kitchen and was coming towards him.

"Hello son. How have you been?" Mr Weasley reached his hand out and Harry shook it, his smile still etched onto his face.

"I've been fine sir, busy doing chores and the like."

"Good to hear son. Now why don't you go up and get dressed so we can get you home, eh?"

"What he means by that, Harry, is that you smell horrible and that you should take a shower."

"Ginny, where are your manners?" Arthur asked, mock outrage coloring his tone.

"Oh come one, Dad. I have _six_ older brothers. It's in the unwritten-rules-of-sisters-with-six-older-brothers that I'm allowed to make snide comments. "Harry laughed and Mr Weasley couldn't help his own smile as he watched Harry turn to go up the stairs to get ready.

Harry turned into his bedroom, and smiled as he saw his two best friends going round his bedroom, gathering his things in companionable silence. Hermione smiled as she saw him and rushed over, giving him a bone crushing hug.

"Let the man breathe, Hermione." Ron said, amusement coloring his tone. He reached forward and gave him a hug as well, and then with an exaggerated sniff, laughingly pushed him away.

"I'm guessing you're headed for the shower?" Harry smiled and nodded, taking his clothes and going to get ready, elated at seeing his friends after a month of isolation at the Dursleys.

Half an hour later, the five of them stood in front of the fireplace. One by one, the teenagers made their way to the Burrow, Mr Weasley staying behind to get everything back to normal. Harry's smile broadened as he took in the sights and smells of the Burrow, greeting the Burrow's residents.

By the time everyone sat down to lunch, Harry was still recovering from the fierce back-breaking hug Mrs. Weasley had given him. Ginny was seated next to him and before he could resist his sudden impulse, he grabbed her hand under the table. She turned to him in surprise, and before he could draw his hand back she had tightened her hold and had blessed him with a brilliant smile. Harry smiled back, and with a hearty "Tuck in" by Mr Weasley, the table exploded in a cacophony of voices, laughter and happy conversation.

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	4. They Say it's your Birthday

The rest of the week flew by in a daze for Harry. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and he were spending their days reading by the lake, swimming, playing numerous games of pick up Quidditch (which the rest of the Weasley boys enthusiastically participated in) and enjoying their summer. As the days passed, Harry couldn't help but notice that Ron and Hermione seemed to be spending more and more time in private. When Harry brought it to Ginny's attention, they spent much time laughing about how Ron's lack of subtlety seemed to be rubbing off on Hermione. Their latest excuse was uttered in a high pitch, as she muttered something about _reading ahead for Divination._ As their laughter died down, Harry couldn't help the hitch of his heart as it sped up, realizing he and Ginny were truly alone. 

"Hey… Ginny?" Harry looked at her from the corner of his eye, hesitating, butterflies clawing at his insides. She smiled at him, and moved closer, sighing in comfort.

"Your skin is so warm, Harry. I feel like I'm wrapped up in a security blanket." She rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk. He stopped her and turned her to face him, her comment being all the courage he needed. His eyes' vast pools of green slowly turned to gold and Ginny's eyes widened at the effect.

"Harry wha-". Before she could say anything Harry's lips had met hers and for once Ginny was speechless. His eyes slid closed as hers did and he slid his hand around her waist, applying gentle pressure to her lips. The wind seemed to pick up speed around them, but they were oblivious to it. They stayed still for a few precious moments before Ginny slowly slide her arms around Harry's neck and deepened the kiss. 

From that moment on the two were practically inseparable. Harry was amazed at the ease in which they had gone from friends to something more. It felt as natural as breathing, and their conversations were effortless, talking about anything and everything. Harry listened as Ginny talked about her plight with Tom Riddle and Harry returned the favor by telling her the little he knew about his eyes' color. 

"I've noticed my eyes can go from green to red or gold, although it's only when I'm particularly nervous or angry, as far as I know. I wrote to Dumbledore, but he answered in his typical fashion, making me feel like a petulant child and going on about how I should be _patient._ As if he's worried I may not be able to handle the truth" Ginny nodded in silent understanding.

"I know how you feel. After everything that happened with the Diary, I felt as if all the adults I knew thought me fragile and weak. As if what I went through only served to make people think they should be even more overbearing and overprotective prats. And by prats I mean my brothers." Harry kissed her forehead in understanding, and after a few minutes of silent contemplation he got up, stretching out his arm and offering her his hand. As they reached her bedroom door, he bent down and kissed her and he could feel the smile playing on her lips. As he turned to go, he saw Hermione watching them, her mouth opened in surprise. She recovered slightly and grinned widely, giggling uncharacteristically. Harry looked at Ginny and smirked, knowing very well that in Hermione's eyes she turned into a giant textbook with all the answers. She brushed past Harry, bade him good night and she grabbed a blushing Ginny's arm, dragging her into their room and slamming the door behind them. Harry suppressed a laugh at Ginny's plight and he turned into Percy's old room, next to Ginny and Hermione's. 

-

_He was running down a corridor, flowing black drapes stained with blood on each side of him. The screams intensified as he picked up his pace, desperate to reach her. Abruptly, the screaming stopped and the drapes stilled. The only sound was of his loud breathing in the unnatural silence, and he tried to calm down, for fear that he'd be heard. The hissing noise of boiling water made its way to his ears, and a feeling of trepidation came over him at the new sound. He couldn't help the fear that made itself known in a shiver that ran down his spine. His wand was in his hand, rigid by his side. He straightened his back in defiance. This was no time for fear or anxiety. As he rounded the corner and peered into _

_the kitchen, he felt the bile rising in his throat. What he thought was boiling water was in fact a cauldron filled with carcasses. With a sickening realization, he saw the fine wisps of human hair, though the color eluded him in the dim light of the room. As he turned to continue his search, his scar seared in pain and he could hear the laughter of Voldemort, sinister and mocking. He forced his eyes open and looked up, only to find that the maddening laughter was coming from the very room he stood in. _

"_Where is she? Where are they?" He couldn't help the questions from bursting out of him, a fact that made the baleful laughter, and the pain in his scar, intensify._

"_I think you're in no position to ask questions, boy." Voldemort reached forward and his hand gripped Harry's face, his nails digging into Harry's cheeks. He thrust his head back and Harry was forced to look up. He couldn't suppress a scream of horror as he looked upon a sea of red hair, hanging from the ceiling, their eyes wide in terror. He started shaking as he saw Ginny's painfully vacant eyes, feeling that the emptiness was accusing him._

"_You see Harry. No one eludes Lord Voldemort. No on defies him, Harry."_

"_Harry"_

"HARRY!"

Harry shot up in bed, and he looked around wildly, his eyes shooting upwards to look at the empty ceiling and then to Ginny's worried face. He broke down in relief and grabbed her, hugging her to him. She clung to him and he couldn't help the gasp of relief that escaped him. The dark shadows that had set on his bed and were seeping onto the rest of the house were being pushed away by the light that Ginny's presence brought.

"It was only a nightmare, Harry. It's alright. I'm here." She kept murmuring soothing words of comfort and he eventually relaxed. Harry's skin started to heat up again as he lay down, pulling Ginny with him. As they talked, neither one mentioned the nightmare, and Harry was eternally grateful. Harry couldn't bear to think about it and Ginny helped him to put it out of his mind. He reveled in the comfort and when Ginny got up to return to her own room, she bent close to his ear and sent pleasant shivers down his spine as she uttered a whispered "Happy birthday". Harry looked at her in shock, having forgotten, and Ginny giggled quietly and turned away in a swirl of red hair and white cotton. 

-

When Harry awoke again a few hours later, it was to the intoxicating smells of breakfast. His growling stomach propelled him to wash and dress quickly. He walked down to the kitchen to find Hermione thumbing through the _Daily Prophet_ and Ginny cooking sausages while Mrs Weasley served the eggs. As they took notice of him, they each took turns hugging him and wishing him a happy birthday, and the birthday wishes continued as the residents of the Burrow slowly made their way to the Kitchen. Fleur swept down upon him and gave him a kiss on both cheeks, Bill and Charlie shook his hand and Ron patted him on the back. Mr Weasley had already left for the Ministry and when Fred and George Apparated from their flat, mischievous grins in place, Harry knew that the package they held up between them would probably hold a very _memorable_ gift, to say the least. The day passed in a blur of Quidditch and a trip to the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, a list of shopping for Mrs Weasley in one hand and Ginny's fingers in his other. They spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the shops and spent the stroll back to the Burrow in soft conversation, simply enjoying the quiet. As they walked to the entrance for the kitchen, Harry noticed in surprise that it was enveloped in darkness. Curious as to where everyone had gone to, he opened the door, and the lights flew open. He stepped back in shock, blinking in the sudden glare of light.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"

Harry was overwhelmed as he shook hands with the many people that had come by, wishing him well. Among the guests where the Weasleys, Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and quite a few, other Aurors. There where even some of his and Ginny's school friends, Neville, Luna, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Pavarti, Padma, Colin, and the list went on. He reached Mrs Weasley last, and thanked her for organizing the surprise, but she smiled and shook her head.

"Ginny planned it all. She got the invitations out, she cleared it with Dumbledore, and she even baked the cake." Harry looked at Ginny, admiration shining in his eyes.

"Thank you" he whispered quietly, as he bent down and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. Ginny was glowing with pleasure and she grabbed his hand, tugging him towards Ron and Hermione.

"Come on then. The party isn't going to wait around forever." Harry laughingly let her drag him around, and the night went on in laughter and dancing. At one point, Lavender was flirting rather ostentatiously with Ron, who had a look of fear and confusion etched on his face. Harry flinched as he saw Hermione turn to survey the scene, waiting for her explosion. His worry dissipated rather quickly, however, as Hermione had brazenly grabbed Ron round the neck and gave him a fierce kiss. Ginny, Harry and Lavender's mouths gaped open in shock, and Seamus and Dean quickly started a cheer that made a very red-faced Ron and Hermione break apart, a satisfied smirk on Hermione's face. 

The music and the food were fueling the teenagers' spirits as they danced to Seamus' music records. They were enchanted to continuously play a flow of music on the Weasleys' record player, and many hit muggle and wizard artists, like Justin Timberlake and the Weird Sisters, were blasting through the stereo. The music was brilliant, with beats that made it impossible to sit still. Harry and Ron had gone to get Butterbeers, and as he turned back onto the makeshift dance floor, streams of _Summer Love_ making their way into his consciousness, he stopped in his tracks, his mouth gaping slightly. Ginny was moving her hips in a mesmerizing fashion, slowly rocking from side to side and raising her arms above her head, slowly dragging her right hand down on her left arm, which was raised slightly above her head. He'd never seen anyone move with so much grace and sensuality combined, and he couldn't help blinking to make sure he wasn't dreaming. As Harry started walking towards her, he felt his heart skip in arousal as she brought her hands down, caressing her sides until they stopped on her hips. She used the newfound balance to swivel her hips at a quicker pace that made Harry wish that all the occupants in the room would disappear. Harry walked up to Ginny, and through some strange intuition placed his hands on hers and pressed up against her back. Ginny turned her head smiling at him and bringing her hands up and around his neck. He brought his face down to her neck, and the rest of the evening passed in a total blur. Harry smiled at Ginny and, thanking Merlin that her parents had gone to bed hours earlier, and that Ron was busy with Hermione, he kissed Ginny while the final strings of music played out. Without a doubt, turning sixteen had definitely started off on the right track. 

---

_A.N.: You can thank Justin Timberlake's cameo appearance in this chapter to my _iTunes'_ shuffle option. I was listening to _Summer Love _as I was writing the last paragraph of the chapter. I hope you enjoyed the calm before the storm! Speaking of JT, I've gotten a couple of reviews commenting that World of Warcraft was released ages after the time frame of OotP. I am aware of it, but I've decided that, to save me the headache of dragging my memory bank back to the '90's, I'm going to write the fiction with contemporary examples of "muggle" culture._

_Thanks again to my reviewers and thanks to the people who added me to their alerts and their favourites! _


	5. Imagine all the people

The sunlight filtering through the window was shining directly onto Harry's face. He cursed and turned over, trying to get some extra sleep, unwilling to leave the warm comfort of his bed. He heard the floorboard outside his room squeak and a knock on the door and he groaned again.

"Harry dear? Are you up? It's time for breakfast. We'll be leaving for Diagon Alley in twenty minutes." Harry mumbled a response and sighed, getting himself out of bed before he had a chance to drift off again. As he went about collecting his clothes, Ginny's gift winked at him in the sunlight. Harry stopped to look at in and felt a grin spread across his face. As if throwing him a party wasn't enough, she'd painted one of the most beautiful portraits he'd ever seen. Harry was in his nappies, reaching on his toes to try and climb his toy broom, while James was kneeling next to him and Lily stood behind James, her hands on his shoulders. He marveled at how life-like she'd made them out to be, particularly since they were motionless and, as far as Harry knew, there was no existing picture of that painting. She was incredible, and as he walked out of his room, he bumped into the subject of his many thoughts. 

"Morning" she mumbled, evidently still half asleep. Harry replied in kind and chuckled slightly, grabbing her hand. They made their way into the kitchen, where Mrs Weasley wasted no time in stacking their plates high with eggs and rashers, bacon and toast. Harry ravenously dug into the food, listening with half an ear as Mrs Weasley talked to Bill about the new security measures at Diagon Alley. 

"Don't worry mum, there's an Auror stationed at every fifty feet, not to mention the ones patrolling in disguise. There are also a few members of the Order and they have Portkeys on hand." Bill patted his mum's hand as she uttered a loud "tut" of worry.

"A few Aurors aren't enough to stop an army of Death Eaters and Merlin knows what else if they decide to attack. Are we really so sure it's a good idea for the children to be going?" Harry felt Ginny shift restlessly in her seat, most likely because of the reference to her as a child.

"Mum, we need to get our school supplies, and as much as you'd like to do it for us, we need to get measured for new school robes. And in any case, Professor Dumbledore has deemed it safe. There's no need to worry so much." Mrs Weasley scrutinized her daughter and visibly deflated, nodding her consent. Harry squeezed Ginny's hand under the table, grateful that she'd managed to earn them an escape. As everyone put their plates away, the four teenagers made their way single file in front of the fireplace. Charlie handed Harry the floo powder, as he was first in line. 

"You'll be flooing to Fred and George's, so just say _Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes_" Harry nodded at him and stepped into the fireplace, vanishing in a swirl of green flames. As he landed in the shop, Harry was assaulted by a cacophony of noise and color. He was mesmerized by the sight and just barely managed to clear the way for Ginny before Fred and George walked up to him, dressed in identical robes of yellow and neon green. 

"Welcome to the Wheezes!" they said simultaneously. He looked around the shop, and was blown away by the sheer volume of merchandise, which had attracted a full house of costumers.

"So I see business is going well" said Hermione, an impressed look on her face. Ginny and Ron nodded in agreement, each looking left and right, trying to take in as much of the shop as possible.

"Well don't just stand there, have a look 'round. Meanwhile, George and I have places to trick, people to mock!" Giving them an exaggerated bow, the twins left them to attend to a young boy struggling to reach a box of Ton-Tongue Toffees. 

"It's a madhouse in here!" Ginny said, awe in her voice.

"It's brilliant!" Ron said, the same awe and amazement mirrored in his own voice. "Who knew their mad ideas would ever gain so much ground?" Harry nodded his agreement and the quartet made their way through the many shelves. Ginny dragged Hermione to a shelf of trick beauty products, giggling at the prospect of using them on Lavender. Ron and Harry had made their way to a shelf of what seemed to be Sugar Quills. Ron reached out and grabbed one, scrutinizing it wearily. He poked it with his wand and muttered a _Finite Encantatem_. Seeming to find nothing wrong with it, he tasted it and Harry jumped back in surprise as his best friend was replaced by a rather large maroon owl. Harry bent over double in laughter, as did Hermione and Ginny who had witnessed the transformation. Fred and George had made their way over to them, and changed Ron back to his normal self. 

"_Feather Plumes_! One taste and you'll fly away!" Ron was muttering something incomprehensible, though he could have sworn he heard _mad gits_ in his rumblings. Bill and Charlie made their way over to the group, and Ron's ears became an alarming shade of red as his brothers exploded in laughter at Fred's relay of the _Feather Plumes_ incident. Harry suppressed a snort and inconspicuously grabbed a box as a tumult of young customers made their way to the display, turning to Fred with a galleon in his hand.

"Don't be ridiculous. You helped us start this business and if you ever try to pay again we'll make sure a few Canary Creams make their way into your supper," George said, a smirk on his face. Harry raised his arms in surrender and thanked the twins. Ginny walked up next to him and turned to her brothers.

"We'll be back in an hour to drop off our parcels, and we'll head out again for lunch. Is that alright?" when the twins nodded, they all bade them goodbye and turned onto the sunny street.

"Where to first, then?" Harry asked, taking Ginny's hand.

"I say we go to Flourish and Blotts, and get our books out of the way. Then we can go to Madam Malkin's to get fitted for our robes." They all consented to Ron's request, though once they had actually picked out their school books, Hermione was immersed in a new section of the bookstore. Knowing Hermione, they decided to split up and meet for lunch at the robe shop. Bill stayed with Ron and Hermione and Charlie, to Harry's mild annoyance, went with them to Madam Malkin's. 

"Do you think there's going to be another Yule Ball this year?" Ginny asked, glancing at her book list which included _formal dress robes._ Charlie turned to them, a mischievous smile on his face. Ginny and Harry looked at him expectantly.

"Well, I may or may not know… it depends on what you're willing to give up for the information." Charlie smirked at them, and Ginny narrowed her eyes impatiently.

"Would me keeping quiet to mum about the time I saw you and Lisa in dad's shed, stark nak-" Charlie blanched and clamped her mouth shut with hand in alarm while Harry burst out laughing. Satisfied that she wouldn't keep going, Charlie pulled back his hand, a small smile making its way onto his lips.

"You really know how to play dirty." Ginny smirked and waited. 

"All I know is that there will be a Yule Ball again, though I've been sworn to secrecy as to the event surrounding the Ball." Ginny peered at him, though she seemed to believe his vow of secrecy as she turned to open the door to Madam Malkin's. As they entered, a sales associate swept down upon them.

"Hogwarts? I imagine you're here for dress robes?" Ginny nodded, and Harry added that he needed school robes as well. Melina, as the pin on her robes indicated, brusquely ushered Harry onto a pedestal, charming fabric, needles and measuring tape to work on him. As four sets of robes folded 

themselves in a packing box at his feet, he stepped down and watched as Ginny was browsing and picking different sets of robes to try on. He made his way over to her and she wasted no time in lading his arms with a few set of robes he realized were meant for him. 

"Go try those on, and make sure to show me the ones you like." Harry nodded, smiling at her. As he walked towards the dressing room, he waved at Ron, Hermione and Bill who had just made their way into the shop. They waved back and continued browsing while Ron was ushered onto the same pedestal Harry was on earlier for his own school robes. Harry only found one pair of robes he liked, a deep forest green with black embroidery on the sleeves and lapel. He stepped out of the dressing room, worrying his sleeve cuffs, and as he looked up his mouth gaped open. Ginny was standing in front of the mirror, turning this way and that in a set of shimmering white robes that seemed to reflect a myriad of colors. They brought out highlights of red hair that Harry didn't think even existed and seemed to make her face shine. As she took notice of him, she turned around and smiled appreciatively at the robes he was wearing.

"I see you've made your choice" Ginny said. Still speechless at the angel that was Ginny, Harry only manage to utter something unintelligible.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that" Ginny said, her brow furrowed.

"I said, I see you've made yours." Ginny smiled wistfully and shook her head.

"Unfortunately not. They're too expensive, but Hermione made me wear them anyways. They're beautiful, aren't they?" Harry felt like saying something along the lines of _yes you are_ but he couldn't bring himself to say something so sappy in front of her brothers. Instead he settled for a simple nod. As Ginny turned back into the dressing room, Harry gestured to the clerk. She promptly made her way over to him, and Harry brought her to the side, away from prying ears.

"I'd appreciate if you could discreetly package the white robes the redhead was wearing. If you could add them to my packages, and make sure to unpack the other dress robes she's picked out." Melina smiled at him, nodding. Harry smiled back and changed back into his robes. They dropped off their packages with Fred and George, and feeling ravenous they walked back onto the busy street. Once they stepped foot into Florean Fortescue's, Harry felt his chest constrict and he wasted no time in pulling his wand out. As the others looked at him in concern and bewilderment, a loud explosion rocked Diagon Alley and knocked half the people on their backs. As Harry tried to concentrate through the two crying children being soothed to no avail by their mother, their wails were replaced by a loud scream and his own mother pleading for his life. Dementors. With a sickening jolt to his stomach, he reached for Ginny's hand, who by now had her wand poised to fight, and watched as a swarm of black hooded figures slowly make their way towards them. 

-

_A.N.: Evil cliffhanger is right! Stay tuned for the next chapter! Unless of course I decide to spend the next chapter describing the 3 seconds it would take for the _black hooded figures_ to make their way to the group…_

_Kidding. XP_

_And the sales clerk's name _Melina_ was borrowed from my own niece/goddaughter. _

_Thanks for reading, reviewing and adding me to your alerts & favourites:)_


	6. Living Life in Peace

_A.N.: Thanks once again to my fab-tastic reviewers and my fans!:D And to John Lennon for letting me borrow his lyrics as chapter titles. XP_

Chaos erupted around them. The Aurors and Order members had gone into position, Patronuses and defensive spells erupting from their wands. Harry felt the dread spread through his stomach into his veins as he noticed that the Dementors were interspersed with Death Eaters. Harry quickly joined in casting the Patronus, and his friends followed suite, yelling curses and protective spells as the Death Eaters' magic made its way to them. The fight quickly escalated and by then Diagon Alley had emptied of most civilians. Before Bill and Charlie could get them to safety with their Portkey, another blast went off a few feet away from them, knocking them off balance.

"GET TO POTTER!" He heard a Death Eater cry. Harry narrowed his eyes as a swarm of Death Eaters approached them. He wouldn't go without a fight, that much was certain. He could feel his eyes burning and the shadow creeping out around him. He heard mocking laughter and recognized it instantly as Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Well would you look at that. Little Baby Potter is ready to fight. And what's this? Are we trying to defend Little Ginny Weasley?" He felt Ginny bristle and the anger in Harry exploded tenfold.

"Stay the hell away from her" he said, the threat in his voice unmistakable. Bellatrix shrieked in laughter and the other Death Eaters soon joined in.

"You won't be getting away so easily this time, _Ickle_ Harry." And with that, the Death Eaters re-banded and had started concentrating their curses towards Harry's group. By that time, Fred and George had joined them and they quickly pulled up defenses whilst everyone started retaliating. Ginny had let go of Harry's hand, and was giving them her all, proving that she was in no way _little._ As the fight intensified, so did Harry's determination. He could feel the power surging through him and he wasted no time in taking advantage of it. He had stunned quite a few Death Eaters, and was focusing his attention at fighting Bellatrix. She was maddeningly confident, a mocking laugh still bursting from her lips every time Harry's spells missed. He was about to shoot a stunner when he heard Ginny cry out in agony. He whipped his head around and that was all the opening Bellatrix needed, who sent a spell so powerful that Harry arched his back and gave a great shudder of pain before he collapsed in a heap. The last thing he heard was Ginny's cry of anguish and Ron and Hermione's shouts of anger.

Ginny looked on in horror as Harry, _her_ Harry was struck down by that animal. As she watched Bellatrix advance upon Harry, she gave a slight growl and walked up in front of his body.

"And where do you think you're going?" She asked Bellatrix in a menacing tone that would have sent her brothers running for cover. Instead, Bellatrix sneered, hardly intimidated. She took another step forward and before she could send a spell of her own, Ginny had cursed her, slicing her shoulder open. Bellatrix watched as the blood trickled down her arm in shock, which quickly turned to anger. She threw a curse at Ginny, who sidestepped it and sent another curse, slicing into her abdomen. In the utter mayhem of the fight, no one noticed a trickle of something dark as night and sleek as shadow make its way from Harry's chest to surround Ginny.

"Need me to keep going? Or are you going to get the hell away from my boyfriend?" Undeterred, Bellatrix kept fighting Ginny, who matched her blow by blow. As she struck Bellatrix again, Bill had grabbed her around the waist, Portkey in one hand, an unconscious Harry in the other.

"Time to go, Gin" he said, quickly looking at her and giving a gasp of shock. Ginny only had time to throw her brother a look, both inquisitive and annoyed, before the Portkey was activated, the hook 

behind their navels lurching them home. Ginny was picking herself off the floor as Mrs Weasley appeared by her children in a flash, twittering in anxiety. Bill was trying to get another good look at Ginny who was being smothered by their mother. She looked her brother straight in the eye, and the second she broke contact her eyes landed on Harry and she gave a shuddering gasp. The adrenaline had finally rushed out of her and she released herself from her mother's arms falling to her knees by Harry.

"Harry?" she whispered on the verge of tears. "Harry come on, wake up!" She shook his shoulder slightly, but he made no response.

"Well, what are you bloody waiting for! Get Madam Pomfrey!" Ginny yelled, springing them to action. Within minutes Madam Pomfrey had arrived, taking Harry to his room and Ginny was being held in her mother's arms.

"Shh, darling. He'll be alright." She felt Ginny nod shakily, and she reached up a hand to her daughter's face to wipe away her tears when she pulled back in shock and pain. She watched in morbid fascination as her daughter's tears caused the skin on her hand to hiss and burn. Before she could even fathom what to ask her daughter, she had fallen asleep, her skin quickly turning cold and clammy. She motioned for Charlie to bring Ginny to bed, and as she tucked her daughter in and kissed her icy forehead, a shiver rand down her spine and she tightened her wrap around her shoulders. She covered her daughter with an extra blanket and left the room, her worry intensifying with each step. As she entered the living room, Bill and Charlie were in the midst of explaining the battle and how Ginny had nearly taken down Bellatrix.

"What do you mean your sister was fighting?" Molly asked, the outrage clear. Her sons flinched and Bill turned to her.

"We couldn't stop her mum. Once Lestrange cursed Harry, Ginny turned into a whole other person. And not only that, but as we where leaving-" Bill stopped abruptly, shaking his head abruptly.

"What is it, Bill?" Charlie looked at his brother curiously and the gaze of the other occupants in the room turned their stares on him. Fleur slipped her hand into his and he tightened his hold.

"I think it was just the anxiety and the adrenaline. I'm probably just suffering a burnout, but…"

"What ees wrong, Bill?" Fleur asked in her throaty voice, her accent more pronounced in her worry.

"Just, I could have sworn Ginny's eyes were red, right before the Portkey took effect." Hermione's brow furrowed, a million questions, undoubtedly running through her mind, while the other occupants tried to grasp what Bill had just told them.

"Like I said, I think I'm just being mad."

"I assure you, Mr Weasley, madness is seldom unaccompanied by genius." Bill gave a gasp as Dumbledore's genial form entered the living room, Professor Snape following closely behind. He gave a curt nod to Mr and Mrs Weasley and swiftly went to Harry's room, his robes floating behind him like a cape.

"Albus! I'm so glad you could come. Would you like some tea?" Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head.

"No thank you, dear Molly. I think we have more pressing matters to attend to. Bill, tell me again, right from the start, what you noticed about Ginny." Bill once again relayed the events of the fight, 

finishing with the blood chilling sight of his sister's red irises. As he spoke, Molly kept her gaze on her singed hand, which was quickly starting to heal.

"And-" she hesitated, unsure of how to voice her concern without sounding completely absurd. "And I think Ginny's tears burned my hand." She shook her head in frustration, looking down at her hand once more, this time her family following her gaze. Dumbledore remained quiet for a few moments as he looked upon the scene, his hands pressed together in quiet contemplation.

"Ms Granger" he called suddenly. Hermione looked up quickly, surprise registering in her eyes.

"Yes sir?" She asked, nervous as to what he'd ask her.

"I'm sure that great mind of yours has not ceased theorizing about tonight's events. Would you care to venture a guess?" Hermione turned beetroot red and she lowered her eyes.

"I- sir I- I couldn't possibly. I doubt-" Dumbledore interrupted her, a kind hand resting on her shoulder.

"Never doubt, Ms Granger." She looked at Dumbledore, his eyes infinite pools of wisdom. She felt Ron's hand creep into hers and she nodded her head resolutely.

"I read a book-" Before she could continue, Ron interrupted her with an _of course_, making the rest of the room laugh quietly, diminishing some of the lingering tension in the room. Hermione smacked Ron on the arm and turned back to the room.

"It was entitled _Souls and Spirits: A Journey into the Realm of Pathos._ I remember reading something about a deep bond between lovers. How one could draw from the strength of their other half; but it's an incredibly rare gift. Though, I gather, if Ginny's eyes changed color _entirely_… is it possible that she be experiencing that bond with Harry? Today, if anything, she proved how she'd shoulder his burdens without a second thought. But the tears completely throw me." Dumbledore nodded, a proud smile alight on his face. He raised himself to his feet and turned his head in the direction of the stairs.

"I will be dropping by again tomorrow, Molly, if that's quite alright. I think we need Harry and Ginny conscious before we can continue this conversation, and we do have much to discuss." Mrs Weasley nodded without hesitation. Once Dumbledore left, the room fell silent, each occupant lost in their own thoughts.


	7. You May Say I'm a Dreamer

The frustration and tension in the residents of the Burrow were running high, particularly in Ron. He had been restlessly pacing since Dumbledore had left a few hours earlier. As he sat back down per Hermione's request, they all heard a loud scream echoed through the house.

"What in the _bloody _name of Merlin was that? What the hell is going on?" Ron's tension exploded as the worry was gnawing at his insides. Mrs Weasley and Bill had rushed out of the room to seek out the problem.

"What if Ginny's suffering as well?" He rounded on Hermione, his eyes full of pain and worry. "You said so yourself, _drawing on another person's strength._ What's to say she won't draw on his weakness?_" _Hermione shook her head, shifting her eyes away from Ron's intense gaze.

"Ron it was just a theory. Nothing's certain yet and it won't help anyone's cause if you don't try to calm down a bit." Ron tightened his hands into a fist and he could feel his nails digging into his skin. He sat down wearily, his heart heavy with worry. Hermione slipped her arm around him and it was a testament to how worried they were that the twins didn't tease them. Bill walked back into the living room, a small smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Charlie asked, his brow raised in annoyance.

"Harry's doing fine now. Bellatrix's curse was really powerful, but we managed to treat him quickly enough. I have no idea what the curse was and Madam Pomfrey won't utter a word about it."

"What about the screams?" Bill chuckled as he shook his head in wonder.

"That _scream_ was in fact a shriek of outrage. Madam Pomfrey won't let Ginny into Harry's room and Merlin, I do not envy her. Ginny's in a right state, especially since in the middle of her rant Pomfrey shoved a spoonful of Pepper-Up potion into her mouth." Charlie and Ron's mouths gaped open in alarm whilst Fred and George gave simultaneous gasps and started laughing. Bill and Hermione joined in and soon the entire room was in an uproar. Ron felt relief course through his veins as he collapsed backwards, the chuckles dying away just as Ginny herself entered the room. She huffed over next to her father and sank down in her seat, only to shoot back up as Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape in turn entered the living room. She had a few quick words with Mrs Weasley who sighed in relief and turned to the room at large.

"He's awake" she said, a smile alight on her face, the worry of the last few hours disappearing from her face. Ginny wasted no time in sprinting to the stairs, barely acknowledging Madam Pomfrey's departure and Snape's sneer. She took the stairs two at a time and had reached Harry's door within seconds. She paused and took a deep breath, slowly letting the door creak open. Harry's radiant smile was the first thing she noticed and she quickly rushed to his side, kneeling gently by his bed, worried she'd injure him further. She placed her hand on his cheek and simply drank in the sight of him, knowing that Harry was doing the same as his eyes melted into hers. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was parched.

"I'm fine" Harry whispered, having read her mind. She smiled at him, and moved her face close to Harry's, where they proceeded to spend some time together, where words were not necessary and feelings were all the answer in the world.

-

The next morning dawned sunny and bright and Ginny couldn't help spending a few extra minutes laying in bed, her heart fit to bursting. As the sunbeams flashed through her window, a bird having interrupted its steady stream of light, she swung her legs out of bed, stretching luxuriously. Last 

night's storm was far from over, and Harry's injury went far deeper than he let on, but she couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction warming her belly. She turned fifteen today, and while she felt more like an adult than ever before, a girlish giggle erupted from her lips. She padded out of her room, dressed for the day and knocked at Harry's door. She heard a loud groan and she let out a full laugh as she creaked the door open.

"Harry? Are you decent?" Harry mumbled something and she walked into the room, a mischievous smile on her face. She walked up to his window and in one swift motion pulled the drapes open, letting the sunlight flood the room. He gave a yelp in protest and sat up in bed, an adorable glower on his face.

"Really Harry, is that such a way to greet your girlfriend on her birthday?" Harry's grimace vanished as he looked upon her, his own roguish smile making its way onto his face.

"No… I think _this_ is a much better way." And, in one swift movement, he'd pounced on Ginny, tickling her ribs. She gave an incontrollable shriek of laughter and flitted away from him as soon as his breathing labored slightly. Her smile turned into a concerned frown and she ran a hand down his back, soothing him.

"What did Madam Pomfrey say?" She asked, encasing herself in his arms and resting her head on his shoulder, trying to give him comfort. He leaned his cheek on top of her hair, playing with the strands.

"Two weeks of _minimal exertion, _Snape's potion once a day, and no Quidditch." She could hear the grimace in his voice and sympathized with him, the very idea of being deprived of Quidditch making her wince. "She said she's done all she can do to speed up the recovery, and that Snape's managed to reverse the spread of Dark Magic the curse left in me." Ginny gave a shudder and tightened her grip on Harry, ever so thankful that he was safe. They stayed still for a few moments, taking advantage of the quiet the morning had offered them and slowly walked down to the kitchen, their serious moods quickly dissipating as her brothers all wished her enthusiastic Birthday wishes, Fred and George, in particular, quite literally showering her with gifts.

"Birthday Bombs! Illusionary anvils and plant pots make their way towards you and the more you try to run away the more they multiply. Once they land on your head, they turn into an actual gift!" Ginny gasped delightedly as the last of the anvils turned into a Nimbus 2001. She stared at it in wonder, quickly launching herself at her brothers.

"Now don't think we didn't do this for our own selfish reasons. We expect you to be Chaser and make sure we win that Cup!" Ginny nodded her head in determination, a fierce gleam in her eyes. She took the broom carefully to stow it away in her room, winking at Ron as she passed by him, and he returned that wink in total confidence. Bill had been benefited with a new broom for Curse Breaking, which left Ron with his old Nimbus 2000. With a faster and better Gryffindor Quidditch team, nothing would stop them. As they finished breakfast, Mrs Weasley shooed her children out of the kitchen to prepare for Ginny's birthday supper. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny lazed the day away swimming at the lake and reading old copies of _Quidditch Illustrated_ and _Witch Weekly._ As lunch came and went, Hermione and Ginny were becoming more and more involved in their magazine as Harry and Ron threw a Quaffle between them. The girls had a look of utmost seriousness on their faces and he was struck by how much they reminded him of Lavender and Pavarti. He wondered briefly if he should ask Mrs Weasley to check their temperatures when Hermione stood up, taking Ginny's hand.

"Well, we're off to get Ginny ready for her party. See you later." Harry barely had time to raise his hand in goodbye as Hermione rushed a blushing Ginny to her room.

"Wonder what's gotten into them?" Harry wondered, looking at Ron and knowing he wouldn't get an answer even if his life depended on it. Ron shrugged, the same look of bewilderment on his face.

"Maybe they're sick?" he said, throwing the ball back to Harry, who shook his head at the mystery that was the female form.

-

The boys quickly tired of their game and walked into the kitchen. Ron quickly pinched a fresh biscuit before his mother could swat his hand away and Harry couldn't help but lick his lips as he smelled what was cooking. Steak and Kidney pie, pudding, fresh biscuits and rolls, fried tomatoes and peppers and was that treacle tart…? Mrs Weasley turned to them, clearly in her element as she gave them a smile.

"Anything you need dears? I'm almost done."

"Are you sure you don't need any help, Mrs Weasley?" She opened her mouth in protest, but she quickly closed it. She scrutinized him closely, watching as he shuffled his feet slightly and ran a hand through his hair. She smiled at the apparent nervousness and instantly understood what he was after.

"If you'd like, I'm about to start on Ginny's birthday cake." Harry nodded, shifting his eyes away from Mrs Weasley's knowing gaze, and set to work, following her instructions. He felt heat creep up his neck as he felt Ron's gaze on the back of his head, but still ploughed on, ignoring his best mate's silent chuckle. Time flew by as he mixed the ingredients and listened to Mrs Weasley explain how to use the oven. Confident that he had everything under control, she had left him to his work once she was done tending to her cooking. When she returned, it was to the sight of Harry, his lip between his teeth and his wand carefully maneuvering the dials on the oven as he turned it off.

"Everything ready dear?"

"Yes Mrs Weasley. The cake just needs to cool." She nodded her head, proud of him.

"Tell me dear, how do you know your way around the kitchen so well?" Harry shrugged his shoulders and turned to her as he pocketed his wand.

"The Dursleys always had me cook breakfast and prepare lunch whenever Aunt Petunia was busy. It was the only thing they trusted me with." Mrs Weasley tightened her hand around her wand, shaking her head in disbelief. She looked at the boy who'd become like a surrogate son to her, and couldn't help but see how young he looked, despite the years the horrors he'd witnessed had burdened him with. She gave him a fierce hug and patted his hair, trying to brush it down. She laughed ruefully as it refused to go down and Harry laughed with her.

"Off you go dear. The boys will be back soon and you need to get ready." Harry nodded and turned to leave, but paused slightly.

"Thanks, Mrs Weasley." He said, nodding towards the cake and she smiled at him, flapping her towel at him.

"Go on then, dear." Harry smiled back and left the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time.


End file.
